The Nintendo Wii nunchuk is one part of the two-part controller for the Wii. Although the Wii remote is the main focus of the controller, many games require the nunchuk for extra functionality.

The nunchuk features the joystick control of the controller, which is often used in games for controlling or moving a character. You just hold it in your right hand with the wii remote in your left. Nintendo's controllers have had joysticks for years, ever since the Nintendo 64, so this isn't a particularly new feature, but the gripping ridges are made of soft rubber so this is a lot kinder on the thumbs than the old N64 and Gamecube controllers. The nunchuk also has a couple of other buttons: Z and B, on the top and back, which have been traditionally used as zoom/fire and cancel, but have now been opened up to a range of uses thanks to the variety of Wii games on offer. Several games also require you to shake the nunchuk, move it up and down in parallel to the Wii remote to simulate running, climbing or general powering-up (as in Donkey King Jet Race), so it does have a considerable amount of functionality for what it is.

The nunchuk itself is a bit of a difficult shape to describe, so I can only direct you to the picture at the top. It's made of good quality plastic and is available in either black or white, with good moulding so it fits in your hand. There are also a number of silicone covers available for it, so you can make it a few different colours as well e.g. pink. The official nunchuk, which is what I'm reviewing here, is currently only available in the UK as a wired version, however there are third party wireless nunchuks on the market. If you're intending to buy a third-party controller, I would suggest you read some reviews first to check the quality and functionality.

The nunchuk wire could be longer, but this is the only real criticism I have and it's only really a 'it would be nice' factor in a couple of fitness games I have, like EA Active. The wire has a connector on the end which slots into your wii remote with a good 'click', and that's all you need to use it. It does seem almost like magic because it doesn't require any batteries, but I guess it draws power from the wii remote's batteries.

The nunchuk is available online at the usual places such as Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, etc., and also in high street shops such as Game, Gamestation, HMV etc . I would say that buying this offline is a waste of money, because even a pre-owned nunchuk will cost you more than on Amazon, where you can pick up a brand-new one in white for around the £5 mark, compared to the £15 or more on the high street. If you're thinking about getting a pre-owned one, it's worth shopping around and asking about the condition where possible, as the joystick in particular is quite difficult to clean, being made of soft rubber. The rest of the nunchuk will clean easily with a slightly damp cloth.

Overall, this is a competitively priced controller which is worth the money to extend your wii's potential.